Kirklees Council: Labour councillor quits party over Gaza stance

A Labour councillor resigned from the party at a meeting over the leadership's stance on the conflict.

Ammar Anwar, who represents Dewsbury West on Kirklees Council, gave a tearful speech as he announced his resignation on Wednesday evening.

But, speaking later, an opposition member said the council should "spend its time looking in the borough".

Labour-controlled Kirklees needs to make cuts worth £47.8m in the next year to avoid bankruptcy.

A number of councils in England, including neighbouring Bradford and Leeds, have passed similar motions since the Israel-Gaza conflict began in October.

Councillor Ammar Anwar, who represents Dewsbury West, told the meeting: "As I came home yesterday, my five-year-old daughter who was watching the news the previous night with me, saw images of what was going on in Gaza.

She said to me, 'Dad, what have you done about the videos you were watching?' That absolutely broke me.

"I have been an active member and supporter of the Labour party all my life, since the age of 14. I believe in its views and principles, but unfortunately under the current leadership, the Labour party has let me down."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for Israel to comply with international law in the conflict but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.

Mr Anwar, who will continue serving as an independent councillor, said he "might" re-join the party in the future if its leadership and stance changed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Opposition councillor Bill Armer, who represents the Conservative party on Kirklees Council, told the BBC: "I would prefer the council to spend its time looking in the borough and at its own problems around financial matters, which it is struggling to resolve."

The Kirklees Council motion was put forward by the Green Party.

Green councillor Andrew Cooper, speaking to the BBC, said: "Very, very little of the council's time is taken up on issues which aren't directly tied with council business."

Mr Cooper said more than 3,000 people signed a petition asking the council to debate the issue, adding: "That shows the strength of feeling.

"Usually it's about that number which triggers a council debate."

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